A new television adaptation of the 1999 cult film, Cruel Intentions, is currently in the works at streaming service IMDb TV. The film (which was a modernisation of the 18th-century novel Dangerous Liaisons) starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Philippe as Kathryn and Sebastian, two wealthy step-siblings in New York City, who make a wager on Sebastian’s ability to seduce and “deflower” the new headmaster’s daughter Annette, played by Reese Witherspoon.
The new series is set to follow the story of two ruthless step-siblings in Washington DC who will do anything to stay at the top of the Greek Life system at their prestigious college, including attempting to seduce the daughter of the US vice-president.
The pilot will be written by Phoebe Fisher (Euphoria) and Sara Goodman (Gossip Girl). Neal H. Moritz, the producer of the original film, has signed on as one of the series’s executive producers. No casting information has been announced yet.
This won’t be the first time an attempt has been made to bring Cruel Intentions to the small screen. in 2016 NBC ordered a pilot episode to a sequel series, taking place 16 years after the film’s events and with Sarah Michele Gellar set to reprise her role as Kathryn. Ultimately, NBC decided against ordering a full series and the show failed to find another home.
Fox also attempted to bring Cruel Intentions TV with a prequel series in 1999. Like the 2016 series, this was also scrapped before it aired, although the first three episodes were edited together and released in 2001 as the direct-to-video film Cruel Intentions 2.
A jukebox musical adaption of the 1999 film ran Off-Broadway from November 2017 to April 2018.
Fans of the 1999 film seem somewhat divided on this announcement, with some suggesting that it’s time to stop rebooting old favorites, while others are excited at the prospect of a return to the world of Cruel Intentions.
Words by Isobel Pankhurst
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